If we were to burn NH4Cr2O7 with HgSCN in the Dark Ages in Europe and show it to anyone, it is us who would be burning next on a fiery cross of Inquisition. And it’s no wonder, since this experiment produces a truly marvelous result. At first, as you ignite the mixture of NH4Cr2O7 and HgSCN, all you can see is that it is slowly burning with a reddish flame. After a while, however, a crater is formed in the middle of the burning pile, and then, suddenly, tentacle-like appendages start sprouting from the burning mixture. And you can almost hear the scream of the mad occultist – “Come forth, Kraken! Come forth!” But of course, this is simply a chemical reaction that is called the "Pharoah's Serpent". It was also often sold in firework stores until people realized that it was toxic.

A burning flame and a broad expanse of water are among the few things which do not tire us with their beauty. However, while we have many sources of water around us, it is quite hard to marvel at a burning flame on a daily basis. Melissa Crisp is one of the few people who were able to subdue the element of fire. She is the person who is behind the design of the uniquely-shaped fire pits, which feature mystifying themes, including a pair of lovers, a fire on the rodeo arena, a forest fire, a fiery flower, and a number of others. Each of the fire pits entrances you, and it almost seems like the characters are alive, as the hot fire burns deep within the spheres, casting dancing shadows all around. (Photo by Melissa Crisp)

A combination photo shows the faces of various attendees of New York Comic Con in Manhattan, New York, October 8, 2015. The event draws thousands of costumed fans, panels of pop culture luminaries and features a sprawling floor of vendors in a space equivalent to more than three football fields at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Manhattan's West side. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

“The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). It is most common in the southern hemisphere along the coast of Antarctica and on most sub-Antarctic islands, but can also be found on the coasts of southern Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, Tierra del Fuego, the Cook Islands, and the Atlantic coast of South America. It can live twenty-six years, possibly more. Orcas and large sharks are the only natural predators of leopard seals”. – Wikipedia

Photo by: Gilad Rom; Source: Flickr

American singer Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, known professionally as Halsey wears eye-catching makeup to celebrate AF 94 in the last decade of July 2022. (Photo by iamhalsey/Instagram)

(L-R) Shiri Appleby and Kevin Zegers of “What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage” attend the Pizza Hut Lounge at 2019 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 19, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Pizza Hut)

This Strange Russian Cartoon Shows Mario's Nasty Side and bogatyr or vityaz is a stock character in medieval East Slavic legends (byliny), akin to a Western European knight-errant.